Denial Annexed
by priscel
Summary: A separate section with background storieschapters I couldn't include in 'Denial'. The same warnings apply.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimers: (wallows in disbelief) I have no right over or have ever (stays away from never) owned GundamWing nor do I profit from this fic, but the story is mine and unfortunately so is Quin.

Warnings: Dark, some OOCness, disturbing content, graphic descriptions of attempted ncs and ncs involving minors (the implied, not as descriptive, will be dominant in later chapters), incest, drug abuse, Duo/Solo torture (you have been warned) and uh... I dunno if I got everything...

- - -xXxXxXx- - - means transition or scene change

AN: So you have to be wondering, 'What's going on?' Yea, I'm working toward some sort of order and since this story's got me about ready to scream, I can't seem to delete any of it so I decided to annex it. I'm doing this in hopes of making it flow better and be clearer.

Denial Annexed

by priscel

Who is he to you 1/2

A.C. 188

The door creaked open, and there's a soft whisper of 'shit' followed by silence except for the soft thrum of music through the walls and floor that sent a restless, covered form back into their dreams. Some time later, one of the blanketed forms in the room shifted at the sudden movement of the coverlet and moved closer to the smaller curled form in front of him. The small form started, not completely awake, at being lifted then carried from the room. The small boy's protests about being removed from the warm cocoon of blankets and the loss of warmth from the other small body were soothed by a gentle rocking motion. The little boy snuggled closer to the body belonging to the arms that held him. He inhaled to have a familiar sweat tinged, musky smell filling his nose as he nuzzled the hard chest before him. 'Bro,' his mind identified and the feeling of security enveloped him, lulling him back to sleep.

The small boy became aware again of his surroundings when downward motion laid him on a soft, flat surface, '... bed?', came the sleep heavy thought. The tall brown haired teen waited until the boy lay still on the bed and then quickly closed the door, the click of the lock latching muffled by the music playing in the room. The teen peered over his shoulder at the small figure on his bed.

The little boy shivered, "... cold," his sleepy mumble fell on deaf ears as he sucked the thumb on his left hand while the other hand snaked out in search of the covers. Unsuccessful, the little hand was slowly pulled back to clamp on to the end of his braid, laying across his hip and brought it to his face as he tried to curl in on himself. The boy jumped at the shift of the bed and batted away the persistent hand working at unraveling his messy braid. He lay still, unaware of the other hand moving down his side to the end of his alphabet decorated shirt. He sleepily stretched and blinked a few times in the bright light of the room. Recognition of the room caused his eyes to open fully. He was in his brother's room. He thought about how his older brother would fuss at him and his little brother, Solo, about playing in his room and warned them about coming in there at night.

His little face scrunched up in confusion as he looked up into two glossy hazel eyes hovering above him. He saw nothing there, it scared him, and he tried to turn away but instead he found himself pinned down by the teen's weight. His eyes widened to size of saucers as the older boy forced his hand down into his pants and cut off his shout with the crush of his lips cruelly to his. The little boy squirmed, his face contorted with effort to keep his mouth shut as his brother's lips and hand continued their assault. His young mind wandered back to the time he had saw his brother kiss his girlfriend. He jerked back to reality at the feel of a warm wet thing running over his lips. He struggled, trying to turn his head away.

"Damn it Duo," the voice sounded distant and regretful. Duo head butted him, one .. two... three times before his brother yanked him back by grabbing hold of the hair near the base of his head. Duo choked on the rising bile in his throat and unconsciously swallowed it back down.

"Quin?" Duo squeaked out, his voice quivering with the fear mirrored in his pleading, confused gaze as he looked up at his brother. Duo swallowed hard, doing his best not to let the tears welling in his eyes spill. Quin looked at him and for a few hot seconds nothing happened, everything was so still that Duo began to hope that this was just some nightmare that he was beginning to wake up from. He whimpered, his chest tightening at Quin's smile as he began to rock against him and grope him again.

Duo squeezed his eyes shut, sending liquid streams of heat down the sides of his temples, stinging his ears. His mind wandered away again. He thought of all the times they'd shared the same room with him and how he never did anything except be their brother then. His young mind not understanding what had changed. Quin gave him confidence when bullies called him a girl after they viciously yanked on braid and made him cry. He taught him how to defend himself and the bullying soon stopped. Quin never questioned their Mother why they didn't cut it off and Duo knew it was because it was the color of their father's hair. He looked up to him, he was nine years older and of course those years imparted to him some secret knowledge that made him wiser about cool stuff that neither Hilde nor any other kids Duo's age knew about. And at seven, Duo was boisterous, inquisitive and claimed his best friend Hilde as his 'play' girlfriend when their Mother told him he couldn't have one like his brother until he was as old as he. So, Quin often found himself the victim of Duo's endless questions. He was always there for Duo and Duo thought he'd do the same with Solo.

Suddenly, the world shifted and the dazed boy found his face pressed to the pillow. Duo bucked at the feel of something cold running down his backside and closed his legs instinctively to stay warm. 'When... why do I feel that?' he shivered, turning his head trying to ask, to see what Quin was doing but Quin pressed his elbow into his back forcing him back down. Duo tried to use his arms to push himself up but soon realized that his arms were crossed in front of his chest. He bucked again in frustration and fear, trying to slip from under the arm pressing heavily against back. He gasped at the sweaty palm stroking down his back to pinch his butt. 'My jammies, where are they?!' He thought in distress and wiggled wildly, panicking.

Quin cursed, putting more of his weight on Duo as he tried to take off his t-shirt.

With all his movement, Duo managed to get one hand free enough to move downward, but before he could pull it from underneath his body, Quin squished him with his full weight. He shifted to breathe and his breath hitching at the smell of baby oil. His face was wet. He hadn't known he was crying. His trapped arm tingled beneath him, going numb from bearing their combined weight. 'My hand's wet,' he thought absently, extending his fingers then fisting them trying to keep the feeling in them. His breath caught at the feeling of something hot and blunt pressing against him. He tried to figure out where it was pressing, when Quin pushed forward. Duo screamed as searing pain coursed through his small body but stopped. Duo panted out sobs as he shook uncontrollably.

Quin rose up on his elbows and stared at the quaking form beneath him. Duo tensed at the feel of Quin's mouth on his neck; just when he had thought it was over the hot thing was back, pushing against him. He twitched and screamed out with each jab Quin made. He didn't understand what he was trying to do but the short spurts of pain made things start to gray and he could barely feel his trembling body.

Suddenly, Quin pushed hard against him, unaware that he had missed his target, he slid forcefully past Duo's entrance to sigh in pleasure at being in between Duo's clenching thighs and in his spasming hand with a pool of oil beneath it. He moved faster, his earlier fustration with not being able to enter/penatrate disappearing. Soon his moans drowned out Duo's quiet whimpers, his mind soring higher and higher of the pleasure; he didn't notice the body beneath him going limp.

- - - XxXxX- - -

Duo opened his eyes again, to find himself still in the now dimly lit room. He covered his eyes, his head still spinning as he sat up and almost did a head dive into the floor at the pain that cut through his body. He lurched forward onto his feet, his loose hair blanketing his small, shivering frame. He didn't notice its current state as he leaned down to pick up his shorts; they were covering these little bags on the floor. 'They are so small and colorful... how would Mama put food in them?' He dazedly thought as he limped over to the door.

He made his way to the bathroom and closed the door, shaking as he held onto the sink. He blinked several times after turning on the light. He looked around in confusion. 'Bathroom?', he frowned. He moved toward the door to leave when he saw a thin pink tinted line running down his leg. He frowned again when he realized he felt wet and slippery. Duo grabbed a lot of tissue and wiped. Looking down at the tissue, his facial expression became slack. He blanked, his hand dropped to his side, letting the tissue fall to the floor. Half aware of everything around him, he realized he felt hot, sick and to heavy for his own legs to hold. Swaying, he grabbed onto the doorknob just above his head. Not really knowing what he was doing, he found himself looking through their little bathroom closet and pulled out a water bottle thing that his Mother used during that _time_, and thought that he should use it too. His face was itching, he rubbed at his cheeks after he was done, not understanding why he was crying. He tossed his shorts in the hamper and limped into their room.

Their Mother was still asleep, not stirring when he closed door for the second time that night. He pulled on some briefs with wadded up tissue in them and then another pair of pajama bottoms. He stumbled-crawled back to the couch pillows on the floor, that served as Solo and his bed. Solo hadn't moved but Duo found himself turning away from him not wanting to smell that baby smell for some reason and felt sick at the same time. Soon, he was in a fitful sleep, twitching to half-alert wakefulness at the slightest sound and sniffling quietly in the darkness with the covers pulled tight around him.

- - - XxXxX- - -

Jadea worked as a Legal Secretary for a law firm uptown as well as held down a second job as a waitress. She barely had time to spend with her boys; she saw them off to school and made sure she made it in time to tuck them at night. In theory, that how it was supposed to be but most days she got home early, she'd go right to sleep from exhaustion no matter if she was sitting down on the couch or leaning against the wall in their small kitchen trying to make some coffee. She had returned home from dropping Duo and Solo off at the bus stop and watching them head to school, but today things seemed different. She placed her keys on the end table by the door and wondered why Duo was so quiet, almost trance like, before he left and trudged his way up the steps to get on the school bus.

She had stopped him and checked his head with the back of her hand, he'd been warm but not sick enough for him to miss school so she had told him to go to the nurses' office if he didn't feel well and have her call her and she'd pick him up. It was a half day for her because she only had to work at the diner. She sighed over her cup of coffee; she needed to spend more time with her boys, the guilt of not being there to care for them as she thought she should was weighing her down. The way she wanted to, the way she had when Aiden was still with them. But it was pointless to dwell on such things, it didn't change anything to make oneself depressed with grief and self-doubt, she had a family to support and raise as best she could.

Not working didn't compute either. It wasn't an option for her and it was rare that she considered it as a possible solution. She came to a stop in the middle of their small living room and saw Quin sitting on the edge of the couch, looking pale and holding something of Duo's, she was sure, in his hands while he seemed to be staring off at nothing.

It was almost time for Mr. Strand to come by to pick the kids up from the bus stop, but Quin was still there. Eyeing her son in his grey tank top and blue sweat pants, she realized that his eyes were red and his face was flushed. Immediately she thought that perhaps Duo had caught something from Quin and that was why he was so quiet. She pretty much knew that if one of them got sick, they all eventually did. She looked at her son again. He hadn't moved or even acknowledged her presence. She glanced down his arms, finding some red marks there coloring into to light bruises. Her eyes continued their downward descent to his white knuckled grip on Duo's pajama bottoms. Even though, Quin holding Duo's pants like that was strange, she considered that maybe her boys had got into a fight or one with each other, but usually they didn't fight so hard that the other was bleeding or bruised in any way.

"I... I... my little brother...Duo... but he felt so... Fuck! I can't want him like that... fuck fuck fuck what did I fucking do to him?! Why him?! But... I want...smell his hair... Damn that stuff Tyre gave me!! Damnit, fucking Christ it's its fault but it tasted so good... Duo...'ll neva forgive me. I'll lose them all. I'd lose Mama I can't... I can't lose her, she's the only reason I'm here... Loved me enough to...I have nothing left... I need them. I need... fi..fuck sorrysorrysorrysorry...Mama?need to make sure he doesn't tell. Yes. He won't tell then I... I... I... my lil' bro... Duo... but he felt -" was the litany of words that went through Quin's head, unaware that he was actually mouthing them. He didn't notice his Mother watching him either. Nor did he react to her light touch when she placed her hand on his shoulder.

Jadea touched him again and still got no reaction, quirking her fine brows in question she moved closer. She tilted her head to the side and her expression became more puzzled as she took in the moisture on his upper lip. Her eyebrow twitched when his lips began to move. She was not a good lip reader, but she knew her boys' names. Whatever Quin was saying he had lipped Duo's name more than once. She increased the pressure of her touch to his shoulder and Quin jerked back slightly in response. He turned his head and blinked at her myopically his lips stopping their recitation.

Jadea began to question Quin when suddenly he wrapped his arms around her waist and held onto her as if she was only thing that grounded him, that kept him whole. He buried his face in her stomach and mumbled something she couldn't make out, "Quin?"

"It's no- nothin'..." He remembered what he had in his hands and knew Jadea had seen it, 'Think damnit... Think!' "I... I was wo-working on a demo for a gig a-at the Rox-"

"Quin! You shouldn't be going to the Rox of all places!! You're only sixteen for heaven sakes! That place is no good. There are older people who take advantage of-"

"Mama, I don't go there often. They pay really well for my mixes and offered to buy part of a demo I played for them since I can't be there every night. It ..." his voice softened and became thick with emotion, "it would've helped us with the bills and then you wouldn't have to work as much as you do!" He knew the last bit would hit home as he emphasized her importance by squeezing her tighter in his arms. His shoulders heaved as he cried against her stomach, the tears he couldn't control and a part of him ill at the lie he was playing by ear.

Laying a placating hand on his shoulders, she spoke unsure of what to say and feeling guilty for not keeping their problems to herself. Money was what they needed but not at the cost of her son. "Still I don't want you exposing yourself to that. The people that go there do all kinds of drugs.. like Streamers."

Quin stiffened and loosened his hold on Jadea. "I've heard of it..."

"Stay away from it honey, a coworker of mine is on the stuff and she's not who she used to be... I mean it's hard to explain the stuff eats away at you until there's nothing left. It's a hallucinogen... made up of old earth drugs like Meta- Crystal, like Crystal (1)... God, saying it's addictive doesn't say enough." She forced herself to stop. She was running off at the mouth in fear that she had failed in saving him from it. In fear that through her neglect, she had inadvertently proved the things that her parents had said Quin would be. 'He doesn't need to know. He mustn't know.' She berated herself mentally, before continuing. "My f... my co-worker was the Diner owner's daughter and he's been doing everything he can to get her off the stuff but she just disappeared after awhile." She squeezed her son and linking her fingers together at the back of his neck before threading them up through his brownish red hair and down again.

Quin tilted his head at hearing the catch in his Mother's voice, confused by her strong reaction to what had happen to a coworker He let his faint interest in what she wasn't telling him die away and be replaced with the satisfaction that he'd distracted her from asking about he still held in his hands.

After awhile, Jadea was kneeling on the couch, nuzzling her son's head. She noticed he wore cologne now but she could still smell him beneath it. 'My baby,' her mind whispered, holding him a little tighter trying to dispel her fears that haggled her since Quin had mentioned the Rox.

"I won't disappear Mama... I hadn't planned on going back to stay, just to drop off the demo and get the money.. b-but that's all ruined now since Duo and Solo messed it up." He lips curved in a grin that belied the sorry in his voice.

"Can't you save-"

"no... I worked so hard on it... I..." At the tighten of her hold around his back from the sniffles he let be heard, he knew that his mother's heart had melted the way he hoped it would, because no one ever had seen him this way, no one except their mother.

"Oh honey, I'm sorry. Thank you for being thoughtful but we'll be fine you'll see. We can have a talk with the boys when they get home, ok?" All the hesitance that put a slight edge in her voice was gone along with the questions about Duo's pyjama bottoms.

He nodded, still pressing against her as she ran her fingers through his ear cropped shaggy brown locks and he smirked against her chest. His improvised plan was working. He'd find away to make sure Duo didn't say anything.

-------------------------------------------------------

(1) A link for more information about the Drugs that will be referenced in this story:


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimers: (wallows in disbelief) I have no right over or have ever (stays away from never) owned GundamWing nor do I profit from this fic, but the story is mine and unfortunately so is Quin.

Warnings: Dark, some OOCness, disturbing content, graphic descriptions of attempted ncs and ncs involving minors (the implied, not as descriptive, will be dominant in later chapters), incest, drug abuse, Duo/Solo torture (you have been warned) and uh... I dunno if I got everything...

Denial Annexed

by priscel

Who is he to you 2/2

A grumbling Quin moped around the living room. He sat then stood again while peering at his Mother through the corner of his eyes. It was late afternoon, almost time for Duo and Solo to come home and their Mother toiled away at a stack of papers, some of which, he was sure were bills. She had decided to let Quin stay home but on the condition that he did the work he would have done in class, including the end of chapter questions. He had been finished for the past ten minutes and he was anxious to get out but Jadea was focused on a bill payment she was trying to make via vid-phone, regardless of the fact she was still on hold.

He fidgeted, listening to the soft tones from the open phone line filling the silence of their living room/dinning room before he sat down again with an exasperated huff. 'I feel like I'm trapped in an elevator,' he thought leaning back on the couch, throwing an arm over his face. He let his mind wander as his left hand explored the lent-filled depths of the third couch cushion. He sighed and heard the ping of the other line and grumbled when his Mother answered it. He put up his feet on the coffee table, accepting that he wouldn't be able to leave early and catch Duo and Solo on their way home.

There was a gasp in the silence that had filled in for the entrancing elevator music and then he could hear the flutter of paper. Quin peeked from beneath his arm as he slid down to his side on the long couch that was against the wall facing the window. He glanced at the TV set in the bookshelf-like TV stand, and read the bright green words 'mute' so he knew the sound hadn't come from it.

He went to watching the door to his left and then looked back at his Mother in time to see the bill that she was about to negotiate, with the collector on the other line, fall from her hands. He noticed just how pale she was, it gave her caramel skin a sickening dusty pallor. There was a set line in her jaw and he had to wonder why she was keeping hidden any part of her anger or upset the current call was causing. He thought about it studying her face, the look was familiar to him, it was similar to her expression of disbelief, anger and hurt that she had had when Aiden died.

He could never call the man father. Father and Aiden just didn't relate to each other. He remembered how Aiden had accepted Quin's decision on his status to him with a pained expression. Aiden was a good man and good at fixing things. Quin smiled to himself as a memory resurfaced, Duo would get into Aiden's tools and wreak havoc on anything he could get: he dismantled, banged or broke the sacrificial object in the name of Shinigami. He remembered how all expression drained from his Mother's face the first year after Aiden's death whenever Duo would do something destructive and cry out to Shinigami.

Quin's head lolled to the side on the couch cushion, he hadn't really been listening to his Mother's conversation and decided he would prefer to listen to her than think about what he'd done, what he still wanted to do . . . Quin shook his head and ran his hands over his face and up in to his rakish bangs. He stroked them back as he stared at the white ceiling, his hazel eyes tracing the bumps and off white specks while he listened to his Mother on the phone.

". . . so . . . we suffer cutbacks because a CEO embezzled money from the company's stock and trust accounts. . . " Her voice sounded flat and small with a rising edge to it. "Instead of ensuring that people keep their jobs you guys reduce company debt by laying them off!" Her eyes narrowed as she glared at the hapless man on the screen, ". . . And this has nothing to do with my lawsuit against Ranger for his failure to follow safety protocols, failure to notify his tenets of the structural integrity of the complex and hull beneath it and his neglect to check up on hull maintenance!" Jadea almost shouted at the screen, causing Quin to flinch at his Mother's abrasive tone.

". . . I . . .I'm truly sorry Ms. Maxwell. We never intended to hurt people in doing this. Your case is still being handled by me and I can honestly say that that is not the reason for . . . you being laid-off." The red haired man lean forward a bit as if he bore too much and his shoulders slumped with his deep sigh. "I did everything..." 'I could for you...' "... everything possible to keep some people on."

"I know." Came the quiet acknowledgment and Jadea unconsciously tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear as she bit down on the inside of her jaw. Jadea didn't see the businessman reach out to touch the vid-screen before he quickly withdrew his hand.

"Thank you for all your hard work. Tell that Duo of yours I have an engine he can tinker with. I swear he's going to be a engineering wiz when he gets older . . ." His voice deepened when he spoke again, "He's so much like Aiden, Jadea, but he definitely gets all his looks from you." He smirked at the light blush that bloomed in her cheeks, "If you ever need to talk or anyth-"

"It's ok Peter, I know . . . Thanks for trying. IF . . . no we will be fine." We have Father Maxwell, is what she would've said but she left it unspoken when Peter nodded knowing the elder priest had not abandoned them.

"Ok. Keep in touch."

Jadea nodded as the screen went black. The set line in her jaw and tenseness in her shoulders never left her as the words 'laided off' hit her hard and she rested her head in her raised hands mouthing, 'what am I going to do?'

Soon the long, tense silence was interrupted by the jingle of keys and laughter just outside the door.

"Haha. Short stuff! Short stuff!" Duo's teasing voice came through the door with the jingle of keys again.

"Am not short! You- you Poohead!" Solo huffed and the doorknob was turned all the way then let go several times before a thump sounded by the door, forcing it open on the last twist of the knob and two voices squealed in surprise.

Quin watched with narrowed eyes as Solo and Duo came tumbling in. The boys tried to get up leaning on each other and end up falling back down in the open door way, bursting into a fit of giggles.

Duo stiffened, his laughter dying away as an eerie feeling of being watched settled over him. He gasped when he was suddenly yanked to his feet and away from Solo by the back of his shirt.

Solo's giggles ended with a rub at the corner of his eyes. He blinked owlishly up at Quin from his kneeling position on the floor. He quickly got up holding on to the door and pushing it closed to follow his brothers. Their home was too quiet, and it was scaring him. He stopped, his knee bent to follow his brothers when he remembered the keys and how they often got in trouble for leaving the door unlocked. 'Maybe that's why we're in trouble?' He thought and knew they were in trouble for something, if not for the keys, from the look on Quin's face. He ran back to the door and on his tippy toes, he used the keys and locked the door.

The keys jingled again and Duo turned his head away from Quin to see Solo sitting nervously on the couch, fiddling with the keys looking like a lost pup staring up at them and glancing over at their Mother's hunched over form at he dinning room table.

"Wh-"

"Don't say a fucking thing!" Quin grated through his clenched teeth, his back facing their Mother as he gripped Duo's face hard and forced him to face him.

Duo tried to turn away but Quin pulled him closer, leaning down into his face. Duo felt dizzy . . . with the hot breath in his face he barely registered his surroundings, and didn't hear anything Quin had said before he found all the ripped out of him. He doubled over and gasping for breath.

"Duo!" Solo cried out when he saw his other brother bend over with both his arms wrapped around his stomach. He jumped up from the couch and hovered near the armrest, twitching and ready to run when he felt Quin's eyes on him. He looked down at the floor and started picking at the threaded fibers on the armrest before daring a glance at Quin. Quin was turning away and walking around the couch toward their Mother. Skittishly, Solo went to Duo and tried to coax a response out of him.

Duo could feel all his breath leaving him and in his mind he saw himself feebly try to, literally, catch his breath but it was no use. He couldn't get his lungs to work, the air kept leaving no matter how hard he tried to breathe in. He stumbled over to the couch's armrest. Everything was sharper and the light was brighter. He could hear and feel only the pounding of his heart. It was pounding so hard and fast that he thought he could see himself move with each thump. He blinked, Solo was there trying to help him, asking him something and looking scared with tears running down his chubby cheeks. Duo tried to speak, he could feel his lips move but wasn't sure if words came out. It felt like he was falling, his mind and body screamed for air, but pain was all he felt.

'What I do?' His vision was becoming cloudy with tiny lights flickering in and out of it. And as suddenly as the breath had left his body, it was back. He gasped for it, choking on it as pain sang through his lungs and his ribs expanded to their limit and receded. His throat felt so dry. He barely heard his Mother say something in what felt like thousands of feet away although she was no more than three feet behind him, still sitting at the table with her head in her hands staring blankly at the black of the vid-screen. What he had heard though sounded so alien to him. Duo looked up to Solo, who was rubbing his back, "I mustuve fell."

Solo nodded, concern etched across his peach shaped face, taking in Duo's pale face as he lay limply across the two seater sofa. Solo glanced at Quin who sat on the couch along the wall closest to door. His eyes grew wider at the smirk that was on Quin's face and then watched as it disappeared completely. It was almost as if it was never there to begin with. His eyes shot to his Mother's slumped form. She hadn't noticed. He stared at her in disbelief, his brows scrunched up in confusion when a wheezing sound brought his attention back to Duo. Their Mother had said that Duo deserved it and that she had told them not to play in Quin's room.

Duo didn't remember ever going into Quin's room since the last time Quin had made him pass out. For an entire year after Aiden's death, Duo destroyed things. Jadea couldn't get him to stop, everyone was saying it was just his 'terrible two' phase and that he would eventually stop. He didn't. He had gotten into Quin's room one day, he was about four then and he couldn't remember what Quin had said but it had scared the shit out of him. Quin wouldn't tell their Mother what he had done, but he didn't break things any more. Still, they were little kids and Quin was wrong to hit him that hard. He looked at their Mother and she remained unmoved as he tried to calm his wheezing. Duo focused on the crosshatching on the lining of the couch, it hurt that she believed Quin over him. She hadn't even asked him his side. His eyes watered, he never lied.

He sniffled and Solo moved closer to him unsure of what to do. Quin had never hit them for going into his room before and they play fought all the time but not so hard. The way Duo had got blue in the face scared him so much. He thought that perhaps Quin had broken something in Duo. Solo looked back at Duo, who was now sitting up, his eyes widen a bit as he saw blood trickle from the corner of his mouth to his chin and build slowly. He stared at the trickle and then saw thick drops fall to the front of Duo's Spiderman t-shirt. Solo hadn't seen blood before, curiosity got the better of him and he reached out to catch a drop. His brother didn't move away from his touch, Solo's green eyes ran up to Duo's face, past his upturned nose to see the brimming of tears in the dark violet pools. 'His eyes changed color...' Solo thought in awe and took his hand away when the blood started to pool in it.

He ran into the kitchen, glancing at their Mother again as he passed her into the kitchen. He wiped his hand on his jeans before he grabbed the stool that always sat in the corner near the fridge when he wanted to get something. He used it to get in the freezer where he took out a frozen juice stick and grabbed a dishtowel and a hand full of paper towels. Returning to Duo, he realized that Quin had left the room. He wrapped the juice stick in the towel and pressed it against Duo's face. Solo remembered that when he had booboos their Mother would kiss them and put something cold on them so they wouldn't hurt so much. He felt proud of himself when Duo reacted and held the towel in place giving Solo a meek smile as he swallowed what Solo was sure was more of his own blood. Solo grimaced and used the paper towel to wipe Duo's shirt. Duo absently ran his tongue around the inside of his mouth, he had bitten the inside of his cheek when Quin hit him and it hurt like a 'son of a bitch' the phrase he loved using since he had learned it from this older kid at school.

He turned away from Solo and leaned on the armrest of the couch in silence. It felt like forever. Solo and Duo sat waiting for something else terrible to happen. They wondered if their Mother was going to work, it was almost 1700 and she was still there at the table . . . '... like one of those large beetle shells that were stuck on whatever it was on after it molts or floats or something. I wonder, can Duo help me look for one in the park?' Solo thought, leaning against his brother's side. They both turned to look over the back of the couch when Quin came storming in, as if he hadn't just hurt Duo, with a grin on his face.

"Mama . . . Mama! I've got good news. I'll work-"

"No! Not at that club!" Jadea snapped with such vehemence that Solo and that all three boys jumped.

"No Mama, not there. I'll work for the Schbeikers and go to night school. I only have a year and a half left over." Quin suggested, his hands raised slightly from his sides and open in a placating manner.

"No . . . no baby. I don't wan-"

"Mama, it's what I want to do. I wanted to be in the scarp business and an early start with Mr. Schbeiker will be to my advantage. The extra money I bring in will make sure we won't lose our home."

"We . . . we are going to be homeless?" Solo asked, his green eyes peering at them over the back of the couch finding the words that Duo himself had wanted to ask. Duo slumped back down, the pain in his stomach making it hard for him to stay up for long.

"No . . . no honey. Everything is fine." Her eyes were bloodshot but there were no tracks left on her face from the tears, she was more than tired. At the sight of the worry in the eyes of her youngest, her caramel color that spoke of her heritage returned some. "Quin, I don't want you to work yourself into an early grave over us. We'll manage. We always do. I want you to have the kind of life you want, not one forced on you because of our situation."

"What about Father Maxwell, Mama?"

Jadea shook her head in the negative, "I don't want to trouble him with my problems. He's a good man and helped a lot when your father," Quin visibly flinched and frowned, "passed away."

Jadea had always been an independent woman, determined in finishing and reaching her set goals, that was part of why Aiden loved her. He had even asked her if he was one of her goals and she made to look as if she had to think about. He playfully swatted her butt in response. Her mind riveted back to the present, her stubbornness in asking for help complicated things but she didn't consider that as part of the reason her sons suffered. It wasn't her fault that sometimes the power or the water would be turned off when she was sent home early from work; other people had to work too. Or when they had little food a year ago and she had found Solo and Duo eating bread with toothpaste on it. It enraged her. She wanted more time with her boys and taking the off days she had then meant not enough food in their stomachs. It wasn't because of her that they had lost their father, it was that reckless landlord's fault. She couldn't have them starving again and she was too proud to peddle her tail like she saw those unfortunate to be on the street corner. She didn't pity them, she could sympathize with some of them. Some of them were beautiful people and she wish she could help them but she had to focus on her children so they wouldn't end up out there trying help her by being stupid.

"Mama, it's ok, I've always wanted to work with the Schbeikers. You know this." He almost whined, turning his back to his brothers resisting the urge to check on Duo. He felt his stomach twist at the memory of Duo's pale face and the sound of his cough riddled, heavy breaths. He hadn't meant to hit him that hard, it just happened.

"Ok Quin. But the moment your grades start to drop-"

"Understood Mama."

Solo gave a teary eyed smile, understanding that things were ok now, but his smile faded when he noticed that Duo was still leaning on the couch arm. He glimpsed Quin look at Duo in a weird way before he walked out of the room again. He had never seen Quin look at anyone like that before. His young mind worked to find the grown up meaning, regardless of whether anyone had ever told him the expression for what he was seeing.

He sat next to Duo, his lips pursed and his fat cheeks puffed out slightly in thought trying to understand what was going on it as he kicked out his legs. He wanted to make Duo feel better and he itched to ask Duo why Quin had hit him like that. He knew he asked 'why' a lot and it got on his brothers'. . . well Quin's nerves to no end. Duo had an answer to just about everything and when he didn't, they'd both bug Quin until he answered them. But that was fun to do and he came to the conclusion 'Grownups are weird and so are big kids.'

* * *


End file.
